Locking away my heart and love! Going back to 2000 to be a top student again.

After dinner, Xu Su conscientiously cleaned up the dishes and went into the kitchen.

He heard Chen Shulan coaxing Xu Yang in the living room, urging him to quickly change his shoes and go out.

As the Lunar New Year approached, Xu Weiguo, though not yet on holiday, didn't need to work overtime in the evenings. He and his wife went out to buy new clothes for Xu Yang to wear during the New Year.

Although their family wasn't well-off, they were always willing to spend money on their only son. Other families might buy clothes a size too big for their children, just in case the children grow too fast and the clothes become too big after only a few wears.

But Chen Shulan and her husband never wanted to make their son suffer, and Xu Yang has never worn clothes that didn't fit him since he was a child.

Every time the seasons change, or during holidays, I always buy one or two new outfits for my son.

The family of three went out shopping in a lively atmosphere, but no one asked Xu Su, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, if she also wanted to buy a new outfit for the New Year.

Xu Su didn't mind. After washing the dishes and wiping away the grease, she returned to her room.

The lock on the new room door was intact, and Xu Su locked the door as soon as she entered.

I started exploring the features of the new phone, but got bored with it in no time.

At that time, mobile phones could only access the internet via GPRS, so for Xu Su, only the functions of text messaging, phone calls, and alarm clocks were practical.

On the evening of the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, Xu Su learned about her cousin Chen Le's phone number from Chen Shulan. After graduating from high school, Chen Le went to work in Pengcheng and had started using a mobile phone when he returned home for the Spring Festival this year.

On the morning of New Year's Eve, Xu Su quietly dialed the phone from her room, greeted a string of relatives on her maternal grandmother's side, and repeatedly confirmed that her maternal grandmother was in good health.

This year, she spent the Lunar New Year at her two sons' homes, just like every year. Both of her uncles were extremely filial, so Xu Su had nothing to worry about.

When Chen Le asked her if she wanted to call her grandmother to answer the phone, Xu Su hesitated for a few seconds but still refused. She couldn't hang up the phone with her grandmother for a while, but her family would be waking up soon.

Xu Su told Chen Le that she could contact her by this phone number and that she could call it if there was any emergency.

After Xu Weiping and Chen Shulan got up, the family dressed neatly and prepared to go to the Xu family's old house.

Xu Weiping carried a box of fruit, Chen Shulan carried a bag of cigarettes, alcohol and gifts, and even Xu Su, apart from the young Xu Yang, carried a large bag full of New Year's goods.

Xiasheng Road is less than a 20-minute bus ride from their new home.

As soon as I entered the house, my aunt was chopping vegetables in the kitchen. Hearing the noise, she came out and greeted me cheerfully.

Grandma Xu also came out of the kitchen, took the things from their hands, and said with a hint of complaint but actually with a warm heart, "You are so polite, you never come empty-handed. Just save the good things for Yangyang. Your parents are old, what can they eat?"

Xu Weiping chuckled, “This time I brought two bottles of good wine. My dad loves to have a sip. If he doesn’t drink during the New Year, when will he ever drink it?”

As the most successful son in the family, he always makes a big show of himself whenever he returns to the old house. He can't find a sense of presence outside, but at home, he is an extremely successful son and elder brother.

Inside the main room of the old house, the Xu brothers, Weiguo and Jiandang, were chatting with their grandfather. They had set up a fire pit, and Weiguo's two sons were also gathered around it. Three generations of the family were gathered together, making it a lively scene.

As for Xu Xiaogu, she will not go back to her parents' home for the Lunar New Year. She will wait until the second day of the Lunar New Year to bring her husband and children to visit her parents' home.

Upon seeing Xu Weiping's family arrive, the old man's smile widened. He took out a handful of milk candies from his pocket and coaxed his grandson, who was dressed in new clothes, "Come here, Yangyang, come to Grandpa."

As the youngest grandson of the Xu family, Xu Yang was the apple of everyone's eye. He was embraced by Grandpa Xu and given a few affectionate kisses.

Xu Su stood to the side and glanced at it for a few moments, then looked for a stool to sit on.

Chen Shulan tugged at her arm and said, "Come on, come with Mom to the kitchen to help out. Girls need to learn to do chores."

"..."

Xu Su had no choice but to follow Chen Shulan to the kitchen.

Then I was assigned the task of washing vegetables.

In those days, not many families could have hot water 24 hours a day; at least, many families couldn't.

Looking at the icy water, Xu Su wanted to find a pair of gloves, but Chen Shulan lightly scolded her for being pretentious, "Why do you need gloves? Nobody in our family uses those. It's only a little cold when you first get in the water, you'll get used to it. Hurry up and wash, we're waiting to cook and have dinner."

So, the men of the Xu family chatted and talked in the main room, while the women busied themselves in the kitchen preparing wine and food for them.

This has been how things have always been done for years. Before, it was just the two daughters-in-law and Grandma Xu, the mother-in-law, who were busy with everything. But this year, they have a granddaughter, Xu Su.

Lunch was served promptly at noon, and before we started eating, a roll of firecrackers was set off at the entrance of the courtyard.

This family reunion was again held with men and women sitting at separate tables. The women's small tables had half the amount of food compared to the large tables.

Xu Su has grown very fast this year, especially in the second half of the year. Her height at the end of her previous life was 1.68 meters, which she grew during her first and second years of high school.

She ate a lot during puberty, and she figured she was busy all morning, so she deserved to eat as much as she could.

After eating a large bowl of rice without any hesitation, he ate a full twenty dumplings, and finally had a bowl of bone broth before putting down his chopsticks.

As she was preparing to clear the dishes, her aunt Yang Yun stopped her: "Your mother and I can manage here. Su Su, I have a favor to ask you. Could you tutor my eldest son? He was fine in elementary school, but he hasn't passed a single test since starting middle school. If he doesn't study hard, he might not even be able to get into high school."

This was clearly not a spur-of-the-moment decision. As soon as Yang Yun finished speaking, Xu Weiguo, who was drinking at the large table, heard it all.

Xu Weiguo patted Xu Hao on the shoulder, "Go! Let your sister teach you. Ask your sister if you don't understand anything. If you don't get a few points on the test next year, I'll beat you to death!"

Xu Hao, who was initially a little resentful, immediately became obedient after his father slapped him hard on the shoulder. He looked at Xu Su with a bad expression and said, "Let's go, you're lucky you don't have to do the dishes."

Xu Su, who was inexplicably 'taken advantage of': "..."

The Xu family's old house has four rooms in total: one for the elderly couple, one for the eldest uncle Xu Jiandang, one for the younger uncle Xu Weiguo and his wife, and one for Xu Hao and his younger brother.

Their room was very messy. The old house had poor lighting and ventilation, and with the recent continuous rain, Xu Su smelled a musty odor as soon as she entered.

The desk against the wall was neatly arranged with many books, making it look like a student's room.

As soon as Xu Su came in, Xu Hao turned on the light and then closed and locked the door.

Having finished all that in one go, Xu Hao sat on the bed, looking at her with disdain: "Just pretend, that's enough. I don't need you to teach me. Don't tell my dad, or else..."

Xu Hao raised his fist.